Orbit Energy, Inc.

HSAD recycles organic waste into fuel gas and a nitrogen-rich product that can be filtered to yield liquid fertilizer and anaerobic compost.

Anaerobic compost is a humus-rich soil amendment made in the absence of oxygen. It improves soil and plant health, prevents erosion and holds moisture and nutrients in the soil. It also reduces the need for fertilizer, improves soil drainage and provides micro-nutrients. Anaerobic compost can be used in projects ranging from agricultural lands requiring a high quality product to commercial land, industrial land and land reclamation.

Known as "oufei" in China, anaerobic compost was in use there before the Song Dynasty (960 AD) and has sustained rice yields averaging 4 tons per hectare for centuries. This occurred because anaerobic composting reduces organic matter to ammonium, which is the ideal fertilizer for paddy rice and many other crops.

Most compost available today is “aerobic,” or made in the presence of oxygen. The aerobic process can take three weeks to two years and requires a fair amount of mixing and human supervision. In contrast, making anaerobic compost with the HSAD technology takes one to three weeks and requires little attention because it is almost completely automated. In addition, the HSAD process produces energy.

The composition of HSAD compost and liquid fertilizer depends on the waste treated. The following tables contain data for anaerobic compost obtained from a mixture of municipal solid waste and food processing sludge treated in an HSAD facility in Stanton, California

Table 1. Anaerobic Compost from HSAD: General Parameters

Parameter	Presence in Anaerobic Compost
Moisture	63.43 %
pH	8.2
C:N Ratio	22:1
Soluble Salts	25.6 dS/m
Organic Matter	57.92 %
Ammonia Nitrogen	<0.005 %
Nitrate Nitrogen	<0.005 %
Chloride	2.56 %
Organic Nitrogen	1.54 %
Volatile Solids	57.92 %

Table 2. Anaerobic Compost from HSAD: Organic Amendment Report (on dry basis)

Metal	Presence in Anaerobic Compost
N - Nitrogen	1.54 %
P - Phosphorous	0.75 %
P2O5 - Phosphate	1.72 %
K - Potassium	1.78 %
K2O - Potash	2.14 %
S - Sulfur	0.69 %
Mg - Magnesium	1.18 %
Ca - Calcium	3.33 %
Na - Sodium	1.40 %
Fe - Iron	5370 ppm
Al - Aluminum	5580 ppm
Mn - Manganese	570 ppm
Cu - Copper	72 ppm
Zn - Zinc	440 ppm
B - Boron	60 ppm

Table 3. Anaerobic Compost from HSAD: Heavy Metal Concentrations (on dry basis)

Metal	Presence in Anaerobic Compost
Arsenic	3.1 mg/kg
Cadmium	0.2 mg/kg
Chromium	36.9 mg/kg
Cobalt	Not Available
Lead	Not Detected
Mercury	0.06 mg/kg
Molybdenum	6.9 mg/kg
Nickel	10.4 mg/kg
Selenium	Not Detected
Zinc	444.2 mg/kg

The HSAD compost and liquid fertilizer meet the most stringent standards regarding maturity, organic matter content, absence of physical contaminants, pH, particle size, nutrient content, moisture content and trace element content. They also meet "Class A" pathogen requirements from the U.S. Federal Standards (40 CFR Part 503) that regulate the beneficial use of biosolids.